Who is Marshall McFadden? All about former NFL linebacker turned Ross Chastain’s NASCAR jackman
Considering that serving as a NASCAR pit crew is a tall order, many members come from top-notch sporting programs, including Marshall McFadden of the Trackhouse Racing team. McFadden is a former NFL linebacker who now works in NASCAR, despite having no prior experience with racecars after retirement.
McFadden, 38, has served as a jackman for various teams and drivers, including Ross Chastain. He came to the stock car racing series after three seasons (2012-2015) playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders (now Las Vegas Raiders), and St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams) in the NFL.
The former linebacker initially served as a pit crew for Chip Ganassi Racing before Justin Marks purchased the team in 2021 and rebranded it as Trackhouse Racing. He also works for Kaulig Racing, particularly the #16 team of AJ Allmendinger.
In an X post, Marshall McFadden was seen performing a practice pit stop session with Trackhouse Racing.
“Former NFL linebacker Marshall McFadden has found a new hunger for competition as a NASCAR jackman 🔥,” X user FearBuck wrote.
A NASCAR pit crew consists of five over-the-wall members, including a tire carrier, tire changers, a jackman, and a fueler. On average, a good pit stop is about 10.5 seconds, about two seconds faster than previous car iterations when each wheel had five lug nuts.
Marshall McFadden's job is to lift the car using a jack, which allows his fellow crew members to install new tires. His usability depends on the race strategy, as some drivers prefer coming in for fuel only to save time off the pit road.
Trackhouse Racing fields three drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, including Ross Chastain (#1), Shane van Gisbergen (#88), and Daniel Suarez (#99). Chastain is a recent race winner following a late run for the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Suspension of Marshall McFadden for pit road mishap at Kauling Racing
During the 2022 season, Marshall McFadden was suspended for four races due to a loose wheel. The left-rear wheel came off the #31 Chevrolet of Justin Haley after the driver left the pit box before coming to a stop due to fire, violating NASCAR's Section 10.5.2.6 (Safety Penalties and Penalty Options).
McFadden received the four-race suspension penalty with crew chief Trent Owens (current crew chief of AJ Allmendinger) and tire changer Jacob Nelson. He missed the races in the All-Star event, Charlotte, Gateway, and Sonoma.
Veteran NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass had shared the news on X (formerly Twitter).
“For the wheel coming off the Justin Haley car at Kansas, Kaulig crew chief Trent Owens and two crew members have been issued four-race suspensions (All-Star, Charlotte, Gateway, Sonoma). This is the second time this season Owens/this team has had this penalty.”
For the wheel coming off the Justin Haley car at Kansas, Kaulig crew chief Trent Owens and two crew members have been issued four-race suspensions (All-Star, Charlotte, Gateway, Sonoma). This is the second time this season Owens/this team has had this penalty.
Justin Haley was able to reverse the car back to the pit box for a new tire on lap 39. However, Haley retired from the race about 25 laps later due to an electrical failure. He spent the following races with a different crew before Marshall McFadden and the suspended members were eligible to return at Nashville Superspeedway.